Inside Raheem Sterling’s move to Arsenal – and how a new signing could improve the mood at the Emirates

Raheem Sterling was in the Arsenal dressing room after the 1-1 draw with Brighton, where he saw many of his new team-mates angry about the referee’s performance. Mikel Arteta was even angrier but anxious to keep his cool. The feeling at Arsenal is that Sterling can give the team a boost, in more ways than one.

That’s why Arteta was hugely enthusiastic about the deal, which came as something of a relief to Sterling after a tense few weeks and difficult final negotiations.

Arsenal had wanted an attacking option all summer, due to the awareness that their attacking depth was not abundantly strong. The preference would have been for a top target like Nico Williams, but he eventually wants to go to Barcelona. Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak would have involved sagas that Arsenal did not want to get involved in this summer, with Sesko also questioning whether the time was right to leave. Arsenal were prepared to spend on the right target but, if they could not get one, there was a willingness to move players on to give even more breathing space for future breathing windows. The club were not close to the limits of the profit and sustainability rule, but the sale of Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace and the loan of Reiss Nelson to Fulham would have reduced the wage bill by more than £100,000.

But they were not willing to settle for less. With Williams off the table for the final week of the transfer window, Arsenal felt it was best to hold their nerve and wait and see what would come their way. The analysis was that the window had been quiet because many clubs needed to sell, and that would provide the opportunity to do some bargains in the final hours, when the leverage would shift. That is exactly what happened.

They also didn’t want to rush things. It was about finding the right player. Arsenal now feel they are in a position where the core of the team is solid, so any new signings simply have to fit in perfectly. Part of the reason Arteta dropped Ivan Toney was because he didn’t think the chemistry would be right with the group. Arsenal don’t want to be in situations where they just sign an option for the sake of it, because they know what it has done to them in the past and feel there are other costs to consider. It may limit options, but for a reason. The aim is to create as finely honed a squad as possible, because that maximises performance and allows a team to push its limits.

Sterling had been mooted as an option earlier this week but serious talks between Arsenal and Chelsea did not take place until Thursday afternoon, with the 29-year-old’s situation proving to be an increasing problem for the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

There had already been some surprising twists. While Manchester United were genuinely interested, partly because of Dan Ashworth’s praise for Sterling, West Ham United and Crystal Palace had both declined to sign him. Some Premier League observers feared that Sterling, having played extensively since the age of 17, was now “well past 29”.

Arteta, like Ashworth, has not bought into that idea. He believes Sterling is still well within the right system, as was briefly seen under Mauricio Pochettino. That is another factor that has contributed to the enthusiasm for the signing, as the forward already understands Arteta’s tactical approach due to their time at Manchester City and its similarity to Pep Guardiola’s. The Basque has no concerns about Sterling’s fitness. He has seen first-hand how he looks after himself.

Arteta has been more concerned about the fitness of Bukayo Saka. Arsenal are well aware of the overuse of their young star and the fact that he will play almost a game every three days for three months after this international break.

Sterling’s mentality has also played a big part. Despite the perceptions some have of the player due to the way he left Liverpool, Arteta believes he is a leader, with a good effect on his team-mates. Sterling also brings experience to a young Arsenal side, having won so many times at City.

It all made sense to Arteta, and so the club continued to move forward on Friday morning. The initial issue was his £325,000-a-week contract at Chelsea, with the player’s entourage quite insistent that they get what they were owed. Sterling was still willing to take a pay cut at Arsenal if he made a permanent move. It quickly became clear that this would require too much negotiation in time for the deadline, so a loan option was mooted that morning.

It simply required a different kind of negotiation: who would pay what. While Chelsea insisted that every player loaned out on a temporary deal be paid, Arsenal made it clear that was not an option for them. Ultimately, Chelsea’s need to move players out overrode everything else in the discussions.

Arsenal felt their negotiating position was strong and acted accordingly. There was a willingness to walk away and keep Nketiah and Nelson.

The deal resulted in a deal in which no loan fee was paid and Arsenal are now paying well under 50% of Sterling’s £325,000 salary. Some close to the negotiations insist the wages are no more than £100,000 a week. This proposal has been put to both clubs.

On Friday night, after tough negotiations, things moved quickly. Sterling was delighted. Arsenal were delighted with what they considered an excellent deal.

The mood had changed by Saturday lunchtime. Hopefully Sterling can fix that.